Utility stand



H. D. BROWN UTILITY STAND Filed Sept. 19, 1951 July 16, 1957 INVENTORJ wbin M0 DBAwn/A/ 2,799,463 Patented July 16, 1957 UTILITY STAND Howard D.Brown, Westfield, N. .3. Application September 19, 1951, Serial No.247,281 Claims. (Cl..248-168) This invention relates to what I term autility stand, the purpose of which is to support a can, pail, dish orthe like, at a convenient height, so as to render the same accessible toan operator, without the need of bending as is usually the practice ingaining access to such articles when supported upon a floor or surfaceupon which an operator is standing. More particularly, the inventiondeals with a device of the character described, which can be arrangedupon a supporting surface and, further, which includes a hook end,facilitating the mounting of the device in an angular position withrespect to a supporting rail, board, or the like.

The novel features of the invention will be best understood from thefollowing description, when taken together with the accompanyingdrawing, in which certain embodiments of the invention are disclosedand, in which, the separate parts are designated by suitable referencecharacters in each of the views and, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a device made according to my invention,illustrating the same in full lines supported upon a board, rail orsimilar support, with parts of the construction broken away and insection and indicating in dot and dash lines the mounting of the deviceupon a supporting surface.

Fig. 2 is a view of the lower end portion of the de vice, looking in thedirection of the arrow 2 of Fig. 1 and omitting the support of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the table or platform of the device; and

Fig. 4 is a broken section on the line 44 of Fig. 1.

In Fig. l of the drawing, I have shown a utility device comprising apair of leg strips, or bars, and 11, movably coupled at their upper endsby a hinge 12, forming a pivot axis 13, about which a table or platform14 is adapted to swing and be clamped, as later described.

The strips or bars 10 and 11 are substantially of the same width and thestrip 10 is slightly longer than the strip 11, the lower end of thestrip 10 having an elongated central aperture 15 for adjustable couplingof a supporting hook 16 therewith. The hook 16 comprises a relativelylong arm, or finger, 17, having a curved or recessed central portion 18.A shorter arm 19 of the hook joins the long arm 17 in a crosshead 20 andboth arms and the crosshead'are reinforced by a continuous rib, as seenat 21; The short and long arms 17 and 19 have parallel portions. Theshort arm 19 has an upwardly directed flat extension or bracket portion22, having spaced apertures to receive clamp winged nut bolts 23. Thebolts engage U-shaped reinforcing strips 24 on the undersurface of thestrip 10, as will clearly appear from a consideration of Figs. 1 and 2of the drawing.

The leg strip 10 has substantially'centrally thereof a rearwardlyprojecting eye bolt 25 which passes through an aperture 26 in the strip11. Coupled with the bolt 25 is a longhook brace 27, the free end ofwhich normally engages an eye secured to the strip 11, as seen in fulllines in Fig. 1. However, in extending or spreading the legs 10 and 11,the hook 27 is adapted to engage one of a number of eyes 29 on the leg11 to control the spread of the legs 10 and 11, one with respect to theother in mounting the device on a supporting surface indicated at 30 indot and dash lines in Fig. 1.

The lower end portion of the leg strip 11 has a crossplate or strip 31secured thereto, this strip or plate being substantially of the width ofthe hook 16, note Fig. 2, and this strip, as well as the lower end ofthe leg 11 is reinforced by a plate 32, generally of the contour seen inFig. 2 of the drawing, the plate having a lower flange portion, as at33.

The strip 31 forms a support for the device engaging the upper surfaceof a rail, plank or the like 34; whereas, the arm 17 of the hook 16engages the lower surface thereof, thu supporting the two leg members inthe angular position, as illustrated in Fig. l. The table 14 is clampedin a horizontal position with respect to the upper surface of thesupport 34 by adjustment around the axis 13 in the manner hereafterdescribed.

The table 14 is generally of the shape illustrated in Fig. 3 of thedrawing, one end of the table having contracted walls, upon which issecured a raised retaining flange 35, the flange having an inwardly anddownwardly curved hook portion 36, note Fig. 1. This hook portion isadapted to engage the beaded edge of a paint can i or the like and, toillustrate diagrammatically the use of the device, I have indicated indot and dash lines in Fig. 3 at 37 a quart paint can; at 38 a halfgallon paint can and, at 39, a full gallon paint can.

Also engaging .the lower beaded edges of these cans is a clamp hook 40adjustable longitudinally of an elongated aperture 41 in the table andopening through one edge thereof as clearly seen in Fig. 3. The uppersurface of the table, longitudinally of the aperture 41, has a recess 42to maintainv the lower plate of the clamp 40, below and in alinementwith the upper surface of the table, so as to provide 'a flush mountingof a can on the table.

A winged nut bolt 43 is employed to secure the clamp 40in differentpositions. In-this connection, .it' will be understood that sufficientclearances will be provided to facilitate a wide range of adjustment ofthe table 14 on the pivot 13 and these clearances are not exaggerated inthe present showing. 1

Secured to the lower surface of the table is a yokeshaped segment 44which has an aperture registering with the aperture 41, as clearly seenin Fig. 4 of the drawing and the depending side walls of the segment 44have rounded lower surfaces, as illustrated at 45 in l of the drawing.One hinge butt plate 46 of the hinge 12 has an extended curled end 47for reception of a winged nut bolt 48 which terminates at and is movableover the round edge 45 of both side plates in adjustment of the table14. Washers 49 are provided on the-bolt 48 so as to facilitate firmclamping of the table 14011 the legs 10 and 11 in different angularpositions with respect thereto.

In connection with the adjustment of the table" 14, it will beunderstood that, when the thickness of 'thesupport 34 varies, the legmembers will assume a different angular position and the table will haveto be adjusted to suit this difference in angularity in order tomaintain the table in a horizontal position. l I

The utility device may be mounted in conjunctionwith vertically disposedsupports such, for example,- as the side rails of a ladder in supportinga pail or can in; ac cessible position and, in addition to formingsupports, the utility device may be utilized as a seat, by simplyremoving the clamp 40 or, as a support of any type or kind. Generallyinthe operation of painting, or in the use of water buckets, pans' orthe like inper'forming cleaning operations, such as washing walls,cleaning windows or the like, a great bit of time is devoted to thebending operation of reaching the pail, can or the like supported uponthe surface, upon which the operator is standing. With a utility deviceof the .kind described, this pail, can or the like can be disposed at aheight rendering the same accessible without body bending, thusmaterially facilitatingthe performance of the painting, washing or otherjob being performed and also minimizing fatigue in the performance ofthe operation.

In the illustration in Fig. 1 of the drawing, the support can be theside rail of a scaffolding or planking, such as used by painters and itwill be readily apparent that, with a utility device, the paint can canbe positioned at a Waist-high or similar level to the operator, so thata material distance is saved in the operation of placing the paint brushinto and removing the same from a paint can.

"Furthermore, in addition to relieving the fatigue of body bending, thepainting operation is performed in a much speedier fashion and, stillfurther, a minimum amount of paint will be lost in transmitting thepaint from the can to the surface being painted.

From a standpoint of description, the table or platform 14 may beconsidered a utility member; whereas, the supporting book 16 can beconsidered means for mounting the member in connection with a suitablesupport, adjustment being provided to control engagement of the hookwith the support and the position of the utility member with respect tothe hook.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

l. A utility stand of the character described, comprising an elongatedstraight leg member having upper and lower ends, a support engagingU-shaped hook on and extending below said lower end of the leg memberfor mounting the leg member above and at an inclination to ahorizontally elongated support member, said hook having fixedly spacedparallel arms, between which the support member is arranged, the upperend of the leg member having pivot means, a segment mounted on saidpivot means, a table on said segment, and means on the leg memberadjacent the upper end thereof engaging said segment for adjustablyclamping the table on the leg member to maintain said table parallelwith respect to the support member on which the hook of said leg memberis mounted.

2. A utility stand of the character described, comprising an elongatedstraight leg member having upper and lower ends, a support engagingU-shaped hook on and extending below said lower end of the leg memberfor mounting the leg member above and at an inclination to ahorizontally elongated support member, said hook having fixedly spacedparallel arms, between which the support member is arranged, the upperend of the leg member having pivot means, a segment mounted on saidpivot means, a table on said segment, means on the leg member adjacentthe upper end thereof engaging said segment for adjustably clamping thetable on the leg member to maintain said table parallel with respect tothe support member on which the hook of said leg member is mounted,means on said table for adjustably clamping an article thereon, meansadjustably clamping the hook with respect to said leg member, and meansreinforcing said last named means.

3. A utility stand of the character described, comprising an elongatedstraight leg member having upper and lower ends, a support engagingU-shaped hook on and extending below said lower end of the leg memberfor mounting the leg member above and at an inclination to ahorizontally elongated support member, said hook having fixedly spacedparallel arms, between which the support member is arranged, the upperend of the leg member having pivot means, a segment mounted on saidpivot means, a table on said segment, means on the 4 leg member adjacentthe upper end thereof engaging said segment for adjustably clamping thetable on the leg member to maintain said table parallel with respect tothe support member on which the hook of said leg member is mounted, asupplemental leg member mounted on the pivot means of the first legmember, means spaced longitudinally of the supplemental leg memberengaged by a part on the first leg member for adjustably coupling thesupplemental leg member with the first named leg member, and thesupplemental leg member having an aperture to receive the part on thefirst named leg member.

4. A utility stand of the character described, comprising an elongatedstraight leg member having upper and lower ends, a support engagingU-shaped hook on and extending below said lower end of the leg memberfor mounting the leg member angularly with respect to a support, saidhook having spaced parallel arms, between which the support is arranged,the upper end of the leg member having pivot means, a segment mounted onsaid pivot means, a table on said segment, means on the leg memberadjacent the upper end thereof engaging said segment for adjustablyclamping the table on the leg member to maintain said table parallelwith respect to the support on which the hook of said leg member ismounted, a supplemental leg member mounted on the pivot means of thefirst leg member, means spaced longitudinally of the supplemental legmember engaged by a part on the first leg member for adjustably couplingthe supplemental leg member with the first named leg member, thesupplemental leg member having an aperture to receive the part on thefirst named leg member, and a transverse strip on the lower end of thesupplemental leg member forming a support for said leg member.

5. A utility stand of the character described, comprising an elongatedstraight leg member having upper and lower ends, a support engagingU-shaped hook on and extending below said lower end of the leg memberfor mounting the leg member above and at an inclination to ahorizontally elongated support member, said hook having fixedly spacedparallel arms, between which the support member is arranged, the upperend of the leg member having pivot means, a segment mounted on saidpivot means, a table on said segment, means on the leg member adjacentthe upper end thereof engaging said segment for adjustably clamping thetable on the leg member to maintain said table parallel with respect tothe support member on which the hook of said leg member is mounted, saidtable having diverging hook-shaped flange portions, a member adjustableon the table toward and from said flange portions in support of anarticle on the table, and means adjustably supporting the hook on saidleg member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS161,026 Grummon Mar. 23, 1875 526,907 Lurssen et al Oct. 2, 1894 599,069Tremearne Feb. 15, 1898 816,268 Steindorf Mar. 27, 1906 1,039,554Lindhorst Sept. 24, 1912 1,059,192 Mills Apr. 15, 1913 1,170,096Nicholson Feb. 1, 1916 1,198,766 Ramsay Sept. 19, 1916 1,247,144Petermann Nov. 20, 1917 1,324,713 Adsit Dec. 9, 1919 1,394,529 ArmitageOct. 25, 1921 1,543,293 Nelson June 23, 1925 1,781,372 Denecke Nov. 11,1930 2,278,250 Diesbach Mar. 31, 1942 2,481,717 Blair Sept. 13, 19492,522,255 Climo Sept. 12, 1950 2,566,656 David Sept. 4, 1951 2,641,431Tucker June 9, 1953

